Sealed screw wire holder



1938- R. R. PETTMAN ET AL 2,139,333

SEALED SCREW WIRE HOLDER Filed May 27, 1957 INVENTORS 1 W M M 5m Patented Dec. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEALED SCREW WIRE HOLDER Application May 27, 1937, Serial No. 145,069

Claims.

This invention relates to a combined insulator and wood screw, commonly referred to as a wire holder.

Among the objects of the present invention is (1) the provision in a wire holder of means for adjusting, by means of telescoping elements, the insulator to its normal upright position with its base seated against a vertically extending mounting surface and with the axis of the wire-receiving opening in a horizontal position without the necessity of turning the wire holder in a direction to unscrew it, and (2) the provision of means for sealing the wood screw in response to the turning of the wire holder in a direction to drive the screw, whereby to prevent entrance of moisture and consequent decay of the wood into which the screw is driven.

A further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive wire holder embodying the above mentioned improvements.

With these and other objects in view which appear from the description to follow, our invention resides in the novel construction and combination of certain elements constituting the device, as described in detail herein, and set forth in the appended claims.

In our copending application, Serial No. 129,054, filed March 4, 1937, we have illustrated and described a wire holder in which the base may be held seated against its mounting surface, and the screw sealed against entrance of moisture. No mention is made in application Serial No. 129,054 of the telescopic arrangement herein illustrated and described, and the claims herein are limited to such an organization.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevational view of one embodiment of the invention, illustrated in section; Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views of other embodiments of the invention, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the base portion of the insulator, taken along the line IV-IV of Figs. 1, 2, or 3.

As illustrated by Fig. 1, the wood screw I2 is rigidly secured to the base portion 20 of the insulator ID in any suitable manner, here shown as having its head or shank end l3 secured to the insulator by means of the cement M. A wire receiving opening ll extends through the insulator III. This is. an old and well known wire. holder arrangement.

A flanged metal disk l5 having an outwardly extending peripheral flange, is rigidly secured, in abutting relation with the end of the insulator Hi from which the screw l2 extends, to the latter in any suitable manner, as by pressing a portion of the disk l5 into recesses in the screw 12. A member or washer I! of waterproof and yieldable, resilient. or compressible material, such as rubber or cork, is provided with a central opening through which the screw 12 extends, and has its inner surface in contact with the face of the disk 15. A metal cup or cup-shaped member I6, having an outside diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the flanged metal disk I5, is fitted for slidable or telescopic movement therein. The metal cup [6 is provided with a central aperture through which the screw l2, and a portion of the washer ll extends.

The flanged disk l5, the metal cup 16, and the yieldable member I! constitute a mounting base for the wire holder, so arranged that, when the portion of the yieldable member l'l engages a surface into which the screw [2 is driven, the portion extending outwardly through the central aperture is first forced into the hollow of the metal cup 16. As the driving of the screw I2 continues the. outer surface of the cup I6 engages. the mounting surface, and the cup may be slidably moved along the screw until the insulator is turned to its normal upright position. Such a movement tightly compresses the resilient washer l'l around the screw to effectively prevent moisture from rain reaching the screw, or reaching the untreated wood into which the screw may be driven.

In Fig. 2 a similar wire holder organization as described above in connection with Fig. 1 is shown provided with a metal cup 18, which is loosely fitted over the base portion 20 of the insulator Ill. The yieldable member or washer I9 is interposed between the base end of the. insulator l 0 and the metal cup [8, the latter being provided with a central aperture through which a central portion of the washer I9 outwardly extends.

The metal cup l8 and the compressible washer l9 constitute a mounting base for the wire holder, illustrated in Fig. 2 so arranged that the cooperation of the elements and the result is the same as that of the device illustrated by Fig. 1; that is, the outwardly extending portion of the compressible member I9 is first forced into the cup l8 after engaging the mounting surface as the driving of the screw l2 continues. This movement forces the metal cup l8 outwardly away from the base of the insulator l0 until the outer surface of the cup l8 abuts the mounting surface. Continued driving of the screw I2 then forces the metal cup back toward the insulator along the screw l2, thereby tightly compressing the compressible member l9 around the screw |2.

In Fig. 3 a tapered recess 2| is provided in the base portion 20' of the insulator ID, the screw |2 extending outwardly, in coaxial relation with the insulator and the recess. A washer 22, of yieldable material, and conforming to the taper of the recess 2|, is fitted in the recess 2| over the screw I2, and arranged with a portion extending outwardly beyond the base of the insulator Hi. The tapered washer 22 extends into the recess 2| for only a portion of the depth thereof, there remaining a space 23 into which the washer 22 may move.

The tapered recess 2| and the tapered yieldable Washer 22 constitute a mounting base for the wire holder illustrated in Fig. 3, so arranged that, as the outer surface of the washer 22 engages a mounting surface into which the screw I2 is driven, the washer 22, in response to continued driving of the screw I2, is moved along the latter into the space 23. It will be apparent that such a movement of the tapered washer 22 within the tapered recess 2| will compress the former tightly around the portion of the screw |2 which is encircled by the washer 22.

From the above description, it will be apparent that this invention discloses a mounting base for a wire holder so arranged that the insulator may be adjusted to its normal upright position with the wire receiving opening horizontal while the base is in contact with the mounting surface into which the mounting screw is driven, and that the longitudinal movement of the base in response to continued driving of the screw will cause the screw to be tightly sealed against entrance of moisture.

While we have described the embodiments oi the invention herein disclosed in specific language for the purpose of facilitating an understanding of its construction and operation, it will be understood that our invention is to be limited only as is necessitated by the prior art and the appended claims.

What we claim is new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, a wire holder including an insulator having a base portion and a screw secured thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, a metal cup having a central aperture, said cup being fitted over said base portion, and a member of yieldable material interposed between said cup and the base of said insulator, said member substantially filling said cup and having a central portion extending outwardly through said central aperture and surrounding said screw.

2. In combination, a wire holder including an insulator having a base portion and a screw secured thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, a metal cup having a central aperture, said cup being fitted over said base portion and arranged for telescopic movement with respect thereto, and a member of yieldable material interposed between said cup and the base of said insulator, said member substantially filling said cup and having a central portion extending outwardly through said central aperture and surrounding said screw.

3. In combination, a wire holder including an insulator having a circular base portion and a screw secured thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, a circular metal cup having a central aperture, said metal cup being fitted over said base portion and arranged for telescopic movement with respect thereto, and a member of yieldable material interposed between said cup and the base of said insulator, said member substantially filling said cup and having a central portion extending outwardly through said central aperture and surrounding said screw.

4. In combination, a wire holder including an insulator having a base portion and a screw secured thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, a metal cup having a central aperture, said cup being loosely fitted over said base portion and arranged for slidable movement thereover, and a member of relatively deformable material interposed between said cup and the base of said in sulator, said member substantially filling said cup and having a central integral portion extending outwardly through and beyond said central aperture and surrounding said screw, said central integral portion substantially filling said aperture.

5. In combination, a wire holder including an insulator having a base portion, a cup-shaped member having a central aperture, said metal cup being slidably fitted over said base portion, a member of relatively compressible material fitted into said cup-shaped member and interposed between the latter and the base end of said insulator, said member of compressible material substantially filling the hollow of said cupshaped member and having a central portion extending through and outwardly beyond said central aperture, and a screw having its shank secured to said insulator and its pointed end extending outwardly therefrom through and in concentric relation with said cup-shaped member and said member of compressible material, the periphery of said compressible member frictionally engaging the inner surface of said cup shaped member, and the wall of the opening in said compressible member through which said screw extends frictionally engaging the screw, whereby the elements of the device are maintained in a unitary assembly.

RALPH R. PI'I'I'MAN. CARROLL H. WALSH. 

